Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

A s soon as they returned from their ride, the Gardiners were waiting at the house for news. Neither believed Elizabeth would reject Darcy’s suit, but nonetheless, they were waiting to see the couple as they returned to offer their congratulations.

That Darcy’s suit had been successful was obvious when they returned to the house. The Gardiners and Georgiana immediately embraced the couple, offering their congratulations and asking questions that they had not yet had the time to answer.

“Do you wish to marry in London from our church, Elizabeth, or here at Pemberley?” Aunt Gardiner asked.

Elizabeth turned to look at Darcy, who shrugged. “While a part of me wishes we could marry here, many of our family and friends could not attend if we did so. If we married early in October in London, we could invite the Matlocks, as well as some friends I have made in town during my time there. What do you think, William?”

“Elizabeth, as long as the result is that we are married, I care not. If it pleases you to be married from London, then that is what we will do. It is late July now; do you believe it will take three months for you to be ready to marry?”

Mrs. Gardiner laughed at this statement. “From the man’s perspective, no, it does not take three months to prepare for a wedding. However, as the bride, there are far more things to consider, including where the wedding breakfast should take place. I will need to meet with your aunt as soon as I can to discuss the matter with her since I am certain she will have ideas about it. In fact, she has already begun to make plans, if I am not mistaken.”

Darcy looked at her in surprise. After a moment, though, he said thoughtfully. “I suppose she views me as a son, in some ways. She has been anxious for her own sons to marry, so I am unsurprised that she is looking forward to mine. I thought it was typically the bride’s family who planned the wedding breakfast.”

“In most cases, I believe it is. However, your aunt is a countess, and that may make a difference. Not only that, but since Lady Matlock sponsored Elizabeth in the season, I think she would prefer to have some say in the proceedings,” Mrs. Gardiner replied.

Sighing heavily, Darcy agreed that she definitely would. “My aunt does adore planning parties. However, Elizabeth, if you feel the need, be sure to remind her that it is our wedding. I know you prefer smaller parties, and my aunt will likely desire to make this a large event requiring months of planning. My only request is that the wedding take place in the early part of October, or even late September, if it can be arranged, and that she not be allowed to push it back beyond that.”

Elizabeth smiled and patted his hand. “We will certainly be wed by the middle of October, William, even if I have to put my foot down with your Aunt Matlock. As my aunt said, she is expecting our engagement to occur although she and your uncle would not have known precisely when you would ask .

Mrs. Gardiner smiled her agreement. “The modiste already has your measurements, and if you recall, Elizabeth, I asked you to work with her to design your ideal wedding gown toward the end of the season. I will send her a letter telling her to begin construction on it so that it will be ready for a fitting when we return home next month. That will allow the process to be much easier, and she can also begin designing dresses for you in your new status as Mrs. Darcy. You have worked with her for several years now, and she is familiar with your preferences.”

“Thank you, Aunt,” Elizabeth said, and the conversation then drifted to other topics related to the wedding, as well as plans to occupy their time at Pemberley.

Before the day was done, letters had been sent to Matlock and London, and another note dispatched to the rector in Kympton where Darcy attended services when he was home. Gardiner sent one to the rector of the church they attended in London, so the reading of the banns could begin there as well.

During the next weeks at Pemberley, the residents occupied themselves with various pursuits, some of which were related to the wedding while others were not. Elizabeth did visit the dressmaker in Lambton to order some dresses appropriate for her role as Mrs. Darcy, made up in the heavier fabrics that would be needed for a winter in Derbyshire. Elizabeth and her aunt also inspected the mistress’s suite, which had been thoroughly aired and cleaned by the servants, before deciding how to update the room.

The Matlocks joined the party at Pemberley after hearing the news of the couple’s engagement. After much discussion, Elizabeth and Darcy planned to visit the seaside for a fortnight after the wedding before returning to Pemberley to spend the winter in their home. Lady Matlock recommended a girls’ school for Georgiana to attend this autumn, as she had several friends who sent their own daughters there .

Unlike the seminary attended by the Bingley sisters, this one did focus on teaching useful accomplishments to young ladies. There was still an emphasis on rank and social status, but it was nearly impossible to find one that did not. Regardless, it seemed to everyone involved that it was in Georgiana’s best interest to attend school for a year or two, and so she would begin this autumn after the wedding. Her aunt and uncle’s promise to take her to the school not long after Darcy and Elizabeth’s wedding pleased Georgiana.

The newlywed Darcys would return to London in the spring to attend the season. Lady Matlock had already begun to plan a ball to occur a few days after the wedding before the couple departed for the seaside.

Shortly before the entire party was to depart for London, Bingley arrived with his sisters and brother-in-law in tow. Bingley had been expected—the others had not. As he had done before, Darcy made his displeasure known about the additional guests arriving uninvited and without warning in spite of Bingley’s claim of having written to inform him of the additions to his party. Knowing his friend’s poor penmanship, he suspected the letter had gone astray.

Reluctantly, Darcy agreed to house his party for a day or two as they were en route to their family home in Scarborough but not without a serious discussion with his friend about the presumption of showing up as he had. Bingley and Darcy had maintained a correspondence over the last few years though they had seen one another rarely. Unlike the correspondence between Elizabeth and Darcy, the letters exchanged between the two gentlemen were far more superficial and had done little to advance the friendship.

Elizabeth met with the Bingleys and Hursts on a few occasions in London. She knew she was disliked by Caroline Bingley, mainly because Elizabeth had Darcy’s attention whereas the other lady did not. However, neither Elizabeth nor Darcy was aware of the extent to which Miss Bingley disliked Elizabeth, for Miss Bingley came nearer to hating Elizabeth than merely disliking her. She believed she deserved the attention of her brother’s friend, and despite the rumours of Elizabeth’s dowry being almost as large as her own, she felt that Elizabeth was beneath her, both in beauty and in wealth.

It was not widely known that Elizabeth’s dowry surpassed the fifteen thousand pounds left to her by the elder Mr. Darcy. In the two and half years since receiving the legacy, it had very nearly doubled, between the investments made by Mr. Gardiner on her behalf and having added the interest on the accounts back into it, enabling the funds to grow to closer to twenty-five thousand pounds. Of course, Gardiner himself had been setting aside small amounts to be used as Elizabeth’s dowry ever since she came to live with them, for Elizabeth had proved to be rather adept in suggesting investments that did well and enabled her to prosper.

When Miss Bingley and her sister entered the drawing room where the party was gathered for dinner, she sidled up to her prey almost as soon as she entered the room, grabbing at his arm and attempting to ingratiate herself with the gentleman.

As soon as he could, however, he moved away from her and came to sit next to Elizabeth, boldly taking her hand in his own. “Bingley since I have not had the chance to write to you of my news just yet, I would like to announce that Elizabeth and I are engaged. We are to wed in London in October, and my aunt, Lady Matlock, will be hosting our wedding ball to celebrate the event.”

Bingley immediately stood and went to shake his friend’s hand. “Congratulations, Darcy, Miss Gardiner. I must say this is quite unexpected. I had believed your interest lay in another direction.” He said this as he looked toward his sister, who was struggling to control her expression at this news.

Darcy could only blink at his friend in surprise. “I cannot understand what you could mean, Bingley. I have been courting Miss Gardiner for several months now. In fact, as soon as we saw each other again at the ball my aunt hosted in her honour, I knew I would marry her. She is the only woman who has ever drawn my interest. ”

Such a statement confused Bingley and irritated the gentleman’s sister. She had been feeding her brother lies for months, telling of his friend’s apparent interest in her and speaking of Darcy’s frequent calls on her at the Hursts townhouse in London that spring. If Bingley was surprised to have never encountered his friend on one of these calls, he never questioned it, but had believed had believed his sister’s claim that the gentleman was courting her.

"But Caroline said you were calling on her," Bingley asserted, turning to look at his sister in confusion.

"Bingley, all of London knew that I was courting Miss Gardiner, especially since she was staying at the home of my aunt and uncle, who wholly favoured the match. I do not know what your sister’s scheme is, but I have never once called on her. The only time I have visited the Hursts' house on Grosvenor Street, I was in your company. Not only that, but had I been calling on your sister, do you not think I would have spoken to you about the matter?" Darcy demanded.

Bingley turned to glare at his sister. “Caroline?”

The lady could only glare right back at her brother. “You are mistaken, Brother. Mr. Darcy, please forgive my brother for his apparent misunderstanding. Miss Gardiner, I suppose congratulations are in order?”

Elizabeth smiled knowingly at the bitter, jealous harpy. “I suppose they are, Miss Bingley. I suppose you will be quite disappointed to miss the wedding since you will be with your family in Scarborough when we marry.” Elizabeth knew what the lady was about with her comment and answered in a similar fashion. Mrs. Gardiner fixed her niece with a look; in fact, everyone in the room, except perhaps for Mr. Bingley, understood the slight Elizabeth intended by her comment.

No further discussion took place about the wedding that evening. Darcy persuaded his friend to leave the next day, and soon peace returned to Pemberley.